Arizona State University's online Global Freshman Academy (GFA) is rolling out adaptive software to help tens of thousands of students work through its College Algebra & Problem Solving course. The GFA program, delivered via massive open online course (MOOC) provider edX, will be the first to utilize McGraw-Hill Education's ALEKS adaptive learning product in a MOOC format.

"To date, more than 17,800 students from 186 countries have registered for the College Algebra & Problem Solving course using the ALEKS program, which will provide students with individualized learning and instruct them on the topics they are most ready to learn," according to a press release from McGraw-Hill Education.

ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) uses artificial intelligence to personalize a student's learning experience based on his or her unique strengths and weaknesses. Students receive real-time feedback to guide them toward mastery of each topic.

Launched last year, the Global Freshman Academy offers a series of first-year courses equivalent to a full freshman year at ASU. The courses are open to anyone, regardless of background, location or transcript; students can pay $49 per course up front to be on the ID Verified Track, and then opt to pay to receive college credit once they have passed a course.

"ASU developed the Global Freshman Academy to help make higher education more accessible and affordable around the world," said Adrian Sannier, chief academic technology officer for EdPlus at ASU, in a statement. "ALEKS helps us take one of the most daunting classes — college math — and personalize it to meet students where they are and help them steadily master the concepts critical to their ultimate success."

About the Author

About the author: Rhea Kelly is executive editor for Campus Technology. She can be reached at rkelly@1105media.com.